At the fourth annual Jewish Cultural Festival on July 27, an evening of workshops, tastings and performances will highlight Jewish joy, culture and community. The event is sponsored by Chabad on the Vineyard and will be held in West Tisbury.
Rabbi Tzvi Alperowitz, co-director of Chabad on the Vineyard, said the festival is a place for people to celebrate being Jewish. It’s also an opportunity for any Islander to get a taste of the multi-faceted, multi-cultural Jewish experience: from food and wine to music and media.
“The festival…brings the Jewish community together,” he said. “It brings joy, vibrancy and excitement to Jewish life on-Island.”
The evening is headlined by Lior Raz, the director and actor best known for Fauda, a political thriller about the modern-day conflict in Israel. But while the show deals with a controversial subject, Rabbi Alperowitz said the show has brought many people together.
Mr. Raz will be in conversation with Maya Skulkin, a reporter and interviewer for The Free Press.
The broader theme of the event is the Shabbat dinner table, and will feature types of Shabbat dinner food from cultures around the world, catered by Hudi Riven, said Rabbi Alperowitz.
The festival will also include Hassidic music, art workshops and a genealogy station led by genealogist Sallyann Sack-Pikus. Attendees will also be able to learn about havdalah, a ritual that concludes Shabbat every Saturday night, and take home a “ritual toolset” with candles and spices, said Rabbi Alperowitz.
Often, Jewish life and community events are dominated by talks about anti-semitism, politics and the challenges of being Jewish, Rabbi Alperowitz said. While these are important — and Chabad hosts many of these as well — the event will be the “breath of fresh air” that people are searching for in the Jewish cultural experience.
“If we want Jewish community and Jewish culture to be part of our children’s lives, our grandchildren’s lives, the only way to make that happen is to make being Jewish joyful and fun and a meaningful part of our life,” he said.
The festival begins at 4 p.m. on Monday, July 27. Tickets are still available for purchase online. Visit vineyardchabad.org.
This article appears in July 24, 2026.